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A GNU/Linux Distro Needing Windows To Install?

Posted by kdawson on from the for-some-values-of-instant dept.

dgun writes "I recently put together a new PC. When I purchased the motherboard, I noticed that it came with an instant-on OS, a small GNU/Linux distro called Splashtop. I assumed that the OS was on a ROM chip on the motherboard. To my great annoyance, when I tried to boot to this OS, a message said that it was not installed. It turns out that motherboard comes with an install disk for this GNU/Linux OS — that you can only run from Windows, to install Splashtop on the hard drive. First of all, doesn't installing it on the hard drive defeat the point of having an instant-on OS? If I wanted to dual-boot a small GNU/Linux OS, there are plenty that I could choose from. Second, if distributing GPL'ed software by means that completely preclude it from being used without Windows is not a violation of the GPL, should it not be?"

2 of 174 comments (clear)

  1. Bad Article. Poster didn't bother to RTFA. by LurkerXXX · · Score: 5, Informative

    The poster of the story didn't even bother to read the link he provided... You can install it from a USB drive from the source. Asus simply doesn't provide that installer on their install CD.

    This is a non-story. The distro doesn't need windows to install. The distributor was just being cheap.

  2. I got a motherboard for this "feature" as well by JackieBrown · · Score: 5, Informative

    Fortunately, I read the customer reviews at newegg so I was expecting it.

    I installed windows then splashtop. Splashtop is pretty but was not worth the time for the installation of windows.

    I was hoping I would at least be able to update my bios through it.

    It can't update the bios and cannot read any of my partitions.

    I changed my bios setting pretty quick to skip it from asking me to load splashtop.